


Learning Curb

by BluBooThalassophile



Series: HfaB Universe [46]
Category: Charmed (TV 1998), DCU
Genre: Adventure, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Drama, Family Issues, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-27 02:23:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20940734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluBooThalassophile/pseuds/BluBooThalassophile
Summary: Mary-Beth Williams knows her cousin isn't dead! And if that means she summons every damn demon on the face of reality then so be it!





	Learning Curb

Piper Halliwell was a very proud mother of three Twice Blessed children. She adored her children, would die for them without hesitation. They were her babies, they were special, and they were powerful. In a world full of heroes that was actually kind of cool.

Titans Tower was in the center of San Francisco’s bay, had been for years, the heroes there did a lot of good for the communities. Whether it was battling some out of control, over powered crazy, or community service, those kids were pillars of the hero world. She knew because Wyatt had avowed he’d be Nightwing for about four years; she had the Halloween pictures to prove it. Chris had kind of gravitated more towards the very dark Titan, Raven, finding her use of shadows to be cool. Melinda loved Starfire, not that Piper would ever allow her daughter to exit the house dressed like that! Nope, not happening. Melinda was a child, she would not dress that risqué.

It was impressive, for all the world of superheroes which they lived in, Piper still found it more impressive that Magic was not a prominent part of the world and still greatly unknown to mortals and feared. Sure, there was an open magic user in the Justice League, a young witch by the name Zatanna, who was an irrevocable force of Light Magic but other than here and there occasionally, there weren’t many Magic wielding superheroes. Which had allowed the Magic community to remain greatly in the dark. Supernatural beings were not flocking to the light, and she didn’t know what that meant for her world if magic was thoroughly uncovered. Until then though a good portion of hers and her family’s feats would remain unknown to the world in the battles against the evil which had threatened existence as it stood. The Charmed Ones and the Twice Blessed would stand against all the evil which the world couldn’t see.

However, this secrecy had led to her fighting frequently about his Magic and being careful about showing off! Honestly, he was so like Paige it was maddening! Her hardheaded, softhearted, boisterous son who smiled like the sun and light up everyone’s world, couldn’t seem to understand he couldn’t be a hero just to be a hero. He might be Twice Blessed but he was not a superhero, and the epic fights they had had about that were something which had scared her. Scared her that Wyatt could go evil, however, now that he was sixteen, he was seeing that being a hero wasn’t all it was cracked up to be and had set his sights on universities instead. Wyatt was the captain of his football team, star quarterback and demon slayer on weekends, he was the amazing big brother she always knew he could be for Chris and Melinda, and a vigilant protector of his younger cousins. Piper was very proud of her boy, but vastly relieved he was no longer pushing her to go to Titan’s Tower and put his application in to be a superhero; she was pretty sure she’d go grey before she was fifty if he did that.

Melinda was a lot like her brother, she wanted to show off to the world, to show she was good and capable of kicking butt like her brothers and taking charge like her aunts. She was too young to understand the repercussions of that, but she hadn’t been as incessant about the superhero gig as Wyatt had been. Which was a relief to Piper, she didn’t think she could handle her tween if she was on full swing of wanting to be a superhero. Melinda, her beautiful, logical, critically minded daughter already had her sights set on being a Whitelighter like her father. Melinda was proving to be a prodigy in potions, alchemy, and runes, her mind being more mathematically aligned than Piper could keep up. Her little girl was a ‘genius’ according to her mortal teachers, which was wonderful to hear, but Piper had no idea how to keep up with her twelve year old who was studying college math and brewing vanquishing potions. However, she did keep up; somehow.

Wyatt and Melinda did take up most of her patience and temper; to be fair, those to extroverted children were a handful especially with the Twice Blessed abilities. Also, they were so much Daddy’s kids that it was a bit much for her at times; Leo was a very involved father with his kids, but still it wore her ragged that her eldest and youngest were so defiant and energetic.

Piper’s middle son, Chris was her easy baby. Shy, sweet Chris was her easy child. Which was saying something because he was… Chris. Piper didn’t know if it was true or not, but she had suspicions about her independent quiet boy; she suspected since his birth, but since his fourteenth birthday she felt her suspicions were confirmed. Her baby Chris and her older Chris had merged, not that Chris said much but there were times she would be talking with her son and he’d be talking about a different event that hadn’t happened, but was very real to him, and he’d be very confused; but at the same time he was her sweet, innocent Chris who didn’t have the weight of the world on his shoulders. But his drive and inner fire were stunted with these two Chris’ in his head, she felt it, Chris wanted purpose, past cooking and researching all the time, he was her warrior child. Now there was no war for him to fight, no siblings to fight for; but rather fight with when demons ganged up on them, he wasn’t alone; though he was still greatly a loner by nature, and his secrecy wasn’t a habit she had broken him of. Just the other day she had gotten a call from his school that he had been in a fight; she still didn’t know what about. There was this chaotic energy in her boy, and it confused him as he had no where or anyone to direct his worries and focus on. Still, for as difficult as Chris could be, he was, as he had forever been, a Mama’s boy however he had a good relationship with Leo too this time around. There were still residual issues, but Chris and she talked them through, and if it wasn’t her talking them through with him it was Victor, Victor was very good with her boy still.

Chris was complicated, somewhat more entangled with his previous self and current self than his siblings could understand, but they had infinite patience for their brother. For which Piper was grateful for, because she knew for a fact Prue and Phoebe would not have had the patience needed to endure her if she was like Chris as a child. Chris was two people in one, and it was difficult enough to distinguish who was who as they both have the same core personality, but her Chris wasn’t neurotic like her older Chris had been.

However, cleaning her kitchen as she looked over the books for P3 and her restaurant, Patty’s all was well for her quiet afternoon. It was a productive time for her as Wyatt, Melinda and Chris were all at school; would be going to Magic School after school and practice, so she was free until about eight tonight. Which meant she was going to get caught up on the books. At least that’s what it meant until her phone rang.

“Hello,” she answered.

“Miss Halliwell, it’s your son,” the principle started.

“Has something happened?” she asked.

“Uh… Chris has…” he started.

“What’s happened to Chris?” she started. Chris; while her easy child, was also the child who had her going mama bear faster than the other two; she had lost him once but she would never lose him again!

“He’s… vanished, ma’am,” the principle said.

“WHAT!?” Piper shouted as she stood up, grabbing her keys and jacket, snagging her purse too.

“He was sitting in class one second, then he was gone in a bunch of blue sparkly lights!” the principle sounded panicked.

Piper stopped dead. “A bunch of lights?”

“Yes,” the principle said as calmly as he could.

“I’ll be right there,” she said. She hung up as she got in the car. “ ** _LEO!_ ** ”

She was already gunning it down the street as she drove for his school. Leo materialized in the passenger seat.

“What!?” he demanded catching her panic.

“Our son just orbed out of school!” she said.

“He  ** _DID_ ** What!?” Leo shouted in fear and shock.

“I don’t know why!? But he orbed out of class!” Piper stated.

“Oh God…” Leo stared in horror at this information. Piper felt the horror of it too, their son was missing and had blatantly used his powers publicly! Maybe they could blame a supervillain; that wasn’t new news in San Francisco. But still, Piper didn’t know what to think of where he could’ve gone!

* * *

Mary-Beth needed guidance! She wanted to talk to her damn cousin who had unlocked her magic, and she just…

Oh God she hoped this worked because she was running out of ideas for even getting in touch with Raven since… no, she wouldn’t go there. She refused to believe it.

Raven… Raven was infallible and invincible and indomitable, there was just no way, none that Rae was actually dead. No. She was this all powerful demon who no one had been able to vanquish or kill and she just got her cousin, so no. Just no. Looking in her cousin’s grimoire she continued drawing the summoning seal.

No demon summon, monster, ghost, spirit, wizard, witch, or warlock summon had brought her cousin to her, so that was making her think that her cousin wasn’t a demon. So, next step, she was summoning angels. Which was what she was drawing on the ground as she walked in the ruins of Azarath. Something was going to give, and her cousin was going to talk to her, her cousin wasn’t dead.

Standing up she grabbed the Book of Azarath and stalked to the podium, she’d just have to whip up a rhyme and get her cousin. Sitting on the stones she glared at the little glowing black bird with red eyes.

“I call upon thee/ Wise soul for guidance/ Come straight to me/ No more defiance!” Mary snapped. There was a brilliant blue which came to swirl over the white wax of her seal which had the fires igniting. Mary’s knee bounced as she struggled to keep her patience; this was the farthest her spell had gotten.

The world illuminated a bit, there was a sharp jingling sound as light illuminated the ruins ceiling and a scream as a body came flying down and smashing into the seal, a heavy thud and a groan accompanied the actions.

“You aren’t a demon! I knew it! You lying bitch!” Mary shouted slamming her book shut as she leapt to her feet.

“Ow!” a voice groaned as she stalked into the seal. She blinked twice as she found herself staring at a boy; her age, looking at her through thick dark bangs, his green eyes were sharp.

“Who the hell are you?” She sputtered stepping back from him.

“I could ask you the same question,” he huffed as he got himself up to his feet. The guy was a giant, gangly too; he wasn’t built like her cousin’s boyfriend. The guy had a sharp face, squared features, a frown nearly etched in stone, and sharp green eyes, his dark fringe of brown-almost black hair fell in his eyes as he glared stubbornly at her.

“You are sure as hell not who I was summoning.”

“Summoned!?” he sputtered.

“What are you?” Mary demanded stepping out of the seals, grabbing the Book of Azar too as she now stepped behind the podiums of the old astrology tower.

“Uh… Where am I?” he asked her.

“I asked you first.” She said sharply.

* * *

Chris was used to weird. Weird was part of being a Halliwell; like having another set of his own memories in his head which were in sync with his own memories as he grew up. Which was… freaky needless to say the least. His mom and grandpa walked him through these memories when they cropped up, as did his dad, but it made his head both crowded and confusing. He had issues with himself, and not even the best shrink ever could untangle, it also had him and his dad’s relationship in this loopdeloop relationship in many ways.

However!

No matter how freaking weird his life could be, his head getting scrambled or demons attacking or Josh Higgins shoving him into a locker he had NEVER been hijacked by magic!

Until today.

Sitting in his classroom taking his AP World History FINAL and then it was like a spear had been slammed in his gut and someone yanked on it as hard as they could, yanking him out of reality until he came crashing down from the ceiling and onto a stone floor, gasping for air. There was a very angry voice, and a set of black boots at his face, before the girl had retreated as he gained his feet.

He had NO idea where he was, or what was going on, all he knew was that he was here.

Still trying to get his bearings, his eyes narrowed on the only thing not spinning in the room; the girl. She was small of frame, athletic, long curly black hair which fell everywhere, violet eyes and a proud face. She wasn’t a demon, he could sense that, especially with the way her violet eyes were shining, all she was, was powerful. Chris sensed no darkness or light off of her though.

“I’m Chris,” he said, holding up his hand to wave at her, fully intending to orb out, noticing his pen. Oh God, his final! His mom was going to kill him! Oh God! He was so dead!

“I’m Mary-Beth,” she answered then, she was standing by an impressive grimoire, he didn’t recognize it. Knowing a lot of magical families had private grimoires not shared with the Elders he wouldn’t be surprised if even his dad didn’t know this book on sight. Nothing about the ancient leather bound book screamed threat though. Nothing about this screamed threat.

“Huh,” he nodded and now looked down at what he was standing on, his eyes widened recognizing the seal. It was impressive! He walked around, the runes were sure, and the intricacy of the design; no one he had ever met had the artistic perfection for seals like this! “Did you do this?” he asked.

“Um…” she opened her mouth, shut it, her eyes flicked from him to the seal as she picked up her grimoire and stepped back. “Yes?”

“Cool,” he said. “Norse runes with Celt design and a mythos root, impressive, is that!? Whoa, this is some serious magic!”

“I’m sorry, but… who are you?” she asked.

“I’m Chris.”

“Yeah, I mean, what are you Chris?” she said. “I wasn’t trying to summon a… whatever you are.”

“A whatever I am?” he questioned. “What were you trying to summon?”

“My cousin,” she answered.

“Huh, well I don’t know about your cousin, but this impressive biblical level work for summoning uh… something like me. What’s your cousin?”

“Not you,” she answered blandly. “she didn’t do the white light thingy.”

“White light?... Oh! You mean orbing!” he corrected.

“Whatever. She did the shadow thing,” Mary-Beth said.

“The… the… I’m sorry, what?” he asked with a nervous chuckle. “Your cousin’s a demon!?” he squeaked.

“Duh,” she rolled her eyes.

He felt all the color and blood drain from his face as he trembled slightly. “Oh hell.”

“The problem is I can’t seem to summon her, and I got you instead!” she snarled in frustration.

“You… you’re…. you’re trying to summon a demon and got a whitelighter?” he sputtered. “Wait! Why are you trying to summon a demon?”

“I need advice,” she shrugged.

“Demons don’t give advice.”

“She gives the best advice, I refuse… she’s not dead.” Mary-Beth stated firmly.

“Dead!? Demons are vanquished!” he shouted.

“Whatever, she’s not dead. I don’t care what the world thinks,” Mary-Beth mumbled as she slammed her book down and started flipping through the pages.

“Wh-Who was your cousin?” he asked nervously, the power this girl radiated was immense; not even Wyatt had power this wild, raw or immense. Wyatt was the most powerful being he knew too. This girl, who was about his age, radiated power, neither light nor dark magic, just… magic.

“Raven,” she answered. “Gem of Scath.”

Chris stood there, slacked jawed. The Titaness’ death had been a global event, her declaring war, warping reality, tearing apart warships, her and the Outlaws, they had stopped the Tameranean invasion, and it had come at the cost of Raven. The Titan had fallen saving the Outlaw, his mom had theorized that Raven had been a very powerful sorceress and that black bird she used as a weapon was no mere shadows but her soul, the death of Raven’s body had severed soul and life and Raven had died; at least that was what his mom had theorized. Now Chris saw something different, a very powerful, magic demon whose immense power had warped reality in a single battle.

That kind of power was… beyond Elder Power, or gods even. And if the girl’s claim was true, which it wasn't too far of a stretch to see how this girl radiated the sheer amount of power to be related to someone like Raven, then she was alone, scared, and from the fact she was trying to summon the demon; she had no Whitelighter.

“Raven… Titans Raven? The superhero? She was a demon!?” he squeaked.

“Yes…”

“And you’re just trying to summon a demon!? Any old demon!? Have you Lost Your Mind!?” he shouted.

“Well I’m running out of options!?” she screamed back.

“What about your Whitelighter!?” he demanded.

“My what!?” she sputtered.

“You know! Your magical guide directing you down the path of good! The Whitelighter assigned to you; that Dad would’ve assigned to you!?”

Now Mary-Beth straightened folding her arms as she marched up to the edge of her line on the seal. “Do I look like I have some magical guardian angel!? I’m kind of winging it here pal!”

“There’s no way you don’t have a Whitelighter, power like yours; I can feel it. And I’m Twice Blessed.”

“Whatever that means. And my power has nothing to do with this!” she snapped.

“You’re…” he started.

“I just… I want my cousin,” the girl murmured now, her curly hair falling as a veil around her as her head dropped.

“Vanquished is vanquished.”

“Rae isn’t dead!” Mary snapped, her head snapping up as her eyes watered.

“I watched her die!” he snapped.

“So what!? I think I would feel if my cousin was dead,” she snapped.

He opened his mouth to rebut that, but then snapped it shut. He’d feel if his cousins were in trouble or dead, he knew that feeling. “Why are you trying to summon her?”

“What do you care?”

“I don’t! I was summoned from my AP World History Final, by you, and now I’m here… oh god… Mom’s going to kill me! I orbed! Oh no… Oh God… I’m so dead,” he gasped, the panic no welled up in his chest. He had orbed! Against his will! IN CLASS! He was dead! He would go sign himself into the morgue now! Oh fuck! “Mom’s going to kill me!”

“I couldn’t have just summoned some random dude unless you were… Oh My God! You’re part angel! Oh no… Dad’s going to kill me!” Mary-Beth gasped.

“Your dad!? My mom’s going to blow me up!”

“Do angels even have moms!?” she yelled in panic.

“My mom’s a witch!” he shouted.

“Oh God…” Mary looked mortified now, and even paler than her ivory complexion should allow. “How's that even possible I thought angels were sexless beings, you know what, don't need to know, I cross a line today. It’s enough.”

“I’m technically half Whitelighter.”

“I’m so dead. I can’t believe I summoned an angel! Without consent!” she gasped.

“My mom and aunts do it all the time,” he said blandly.

“I’m so dead.”

“Not as dead as me! I orbed! In class!”

“Wait? Class? Magic School, like Grimwood?” she asked.

“No! Public High School!” he yelped. Mary suddenly had a look of ultimate pity on her face.

“Dude, Hell is better than high school.”

“I’m not disagreeing, but my mom is going to kill me!” he cringed.

“Angels can’t die.”

“I’m only half, and it’s Whitelighter, not angel, angels are completely different,” he said sharply. His mom was so going to blow him up! There was a thunderous roar in the distance which had his head snapping over to where he looked out at ruins to see a massive black dragon flying through the skies.

“Is that a…”

“Yeah, it’s my cousin’s pet,” she answered.

“Oh I am so dead.” He muttered.

“I…” there was a flurry of white lights around him and his summoner and then he yelped as she was slammed into him and they were yanked back through the void until he felt himself rematerializing and slamming into the attic floor.

“Will you please! Stop! Doing! THAT!” he hissed as the girl slammed on top of him.

“Chris!” his mom shouted and there was a flurry of movement as Mary scrambled off him.

“Who the hell are you!?” His little sister’s voice barked, and he looked up just in time to watch Melinda hovering and a potion in hand. Wyatt threw a shield around them as his hands started glowing red, his dad was over him, and his mom was glaring at where Mary was. Scrambling to his feet he dove between Mary and his family.

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Everyone calm down!” he shouted.

“Out of the way Chris,” Wyatt ordered.

“Dude, calm your tits!” Chris snapped.

“Peanut?” his mom drawled out the warning.

“She’s not a demon!” he promised. “Dad!” he pleaded.

“She’s… not a demon,” Leo relented. Chris would’ve slumped in relief except now he was keenly aware that all eyes were on Mary-Beth and himself.

“Well if she’s not a demon, then what the hell is she!?” Piper snapped. Chris tensed as he looked at Mary-Beth, who was frozen, she stared at all them with a blank face and huge violet eyes.

“Uh… Powerful?” he said with a nervous shrug.

“I can sense that,” Wyatt and his dad snapped at him.

“I’m Raven’s cousin.” Mary-Beth said, stepping up beside him now, he stared down at her, she was so damn small; like his mom. His mom and dad blinked dumbly, Wyatt frowned, Melinda looked confused.

“Raven?”

“The Titan,” Mary-Beth stated. “I wasn’t trying to summon… Chris, I was trying to summon my cousin,” Mary stated. Now his family floundered a bit and he saw Wyatt staring at Mary-Beth in a hint of awe and trepidation. Melinda was digesting this information. His parents were looking between them and back at Mary. Mary rubbed her eyes, regained her composure and he saw her straighten her back and hold her head high. She looked like one of the Native Americans in the history books, unyieldingly proud even in sorrow. Chris didn’t know what to say or do right now and just awkwardly shifted on his feet waiting for their reaction to sink in; he didn’t know if he was to be a buffer between Mary-Beth and them, or just dive out of the way when his mom went into mom mode.

“Sweetie,” his mom’s voice was soft as she walked forward. “Have you tried a séance?”

“I’ve tried everything!” Mary-Beth exploded now, the force of her power was a shockwave, which had his mom stepping back with wide eyes. “I was trying summonings now and all I got was…” Mary gave him a bland gesture as she started pacing around in her fury. “Nothing is working!”

“Sweetie, honey, you need to calm down,” Piper said. Chris felt the house trembling at Mary’s fury.

“I can’t! I got… Magic and I have NO Idea how to control it! I go to a school of freaks! My history teacher is a mummy! An actual wrapped up Mummy! And I have no friends, I can’t stay home! My brother and sister also have magic! And I need HELP! She Can’t Be Dead! She Said She’d Help! I Have No Idea What To Do!” Mary screamed the last of her tirade and his mom caught the girl’s hands now, forcing Mary to stop pacing and to stare at her.

“Calm down,” Piper stated. “I’m Piper,” she said.

Mary blinked a few times at this. “Mary-Beth.”

“Alright, we’re going to figure this out kiddo.” Piper said.

“And how can you help?” Mary demanded bitterly.

“I don’t know yet, sweetie, but I’ve been where you are. So, take a breath, we’re going to the kitchen and we’ll call your mom,” Piper said calmly.

“Thanks mom,” Chris sighed.

“No problem, peanut. Why don’t you show Mary-Beth the kitchen while your father and I chat? Wyatt, Melinda, don’t eat all the cookies,” Piper warned.

“Come on,” Chris said to Mary who merely glared at him before she sighed and relented as she walked after.

“Where am I?”

“My house,” he answered.

“Where is that exactly?”

“San Francisco.”

“I’m so grounded,” she sighed.

“At least mom didn’t blow me up for orbing in public,” he said.

* * *

Mary-Beth just relented that she had no say in what was going on; some cosmic consequence she’d bet. Trying to summon Raven back from the dead or wherever she was hiding, it just… it wasn’t fair! She had no idea what to do, and her cousin wasn’t coming to her calls and! It was too much, just too much!

“Do you know Superboy?” a voice cut through her thoughts which had her looking at a younger girl with sharp brown eyes and sandy brown hair.

“Melinda!” Wyatt snapped.

“What!?” Melinda defended, she saw Chris and Wyatt roll their eyes then.

“What?” Mary-Beth stammered.

“You said your cousin was Raven, so do you know Superboy or not?” Melinda demanded.

“I don’t know the heroes,” Mary answered.

“Really? Not Aqualad, or Robin, or anything?” Wyatt asked.

“Uh… no,” she answered. “I met Arsenal, once,” she omitted; because she’d been sworn to secrecy, she hadn’t ever talked about it.

“That’s… neat,” Chris offered.

“He’s the archer dude who dresses up in red and works with the Red Hood now,” she clarified.

“Oh!” Wyatt and Chris said in recognition.

“I… I wasn’t a hero. I just, I found out she was my cousin last year,” Mary said hesitantly.

“So you weren’t close?” Wyatt asked; the mere idea seemed unfathomable to these three as they looked between each other.

“I… we were kinda just getting to know each other,” she said. Raven had been kind to her, and her siblings, she was just, very reluctant to get invested in them or anything else really. Mary had thought it odd until the Magic had manifested then Raven’s standoffish ways had made some degree of sense. This power… it was all consuming and it was terrifying. Mary had also learned her cousin was the product of her mother’s rape and sired only because of a satanic cult summoning a demon called Trigon. Yeah, easy to see why Raven didn’t let people into her life with open arms and a smile when that information had been revealed; even her mom realized that and realized that badgering Raven wasn’t going to get Raven coming into their family. But… it’d been something just a beginning of a relationship, something Mary could rely on and now, Raven was dead and she had no one who understood her fear of herself.

“Oh, that sucks,” Wyatt grimaced.

“I, we were kind of starting to be friends, the magic thing,” she said.

“Come on, mom made peanut butter chocolate chip,” Chris said.

“That’s cause she always makes your favorites,” Melinda rolled her eyes.

“Does not!”

“Does too!”

“Does Not!”

“Dude she does,” Wyatt snickered.

“Chris is a mama’s boy!” Melinda informed her in a loud whispered.

“AM NOT!”

“Are too!” she countered.

“Rae’s best friend was a total badass and a mama’s boy, according to Arsenal,” she said primly which had them all staring at them. “Mama’s Boys are total badasses!” she decided. Her mom was so going to wash her mouth out with soap if she knew that she had cursed.

“Fine, I’m a mama’s boy,” Chris relented, but stuck his tongue out at Wyatt and Melinda in triumph. Wyatt laughed as he messed up his brother’s hair and Melinda pouted as she walked after Wyatt.

“So, can I ask how you summoned my baby brother off this plane?” Wyatt asked as they guided her to a kitchen.

“There was a seal in the book, I drew it, I thought Raven would come,” Mary mumbled as she was sat down at the island. “Not Chris.”

“So you didn’t summon my baby bro on purpose?” Wyatt asked.

“I don’t even know him, why would I summon him?” she asked blandly.

“Twice Bless?” Melinda said.

Mary frowned. “You have all said that like it means something, it means nothing.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Chris said.

“I’m not. I’m worried about how I’m getting back to school before the head mistress notices that I’m missing and calls my mom so I’m grounded for an eternity!” Mary groaned. That realization was hitting her just now with the information that she was currently in San Francisco. She was so dead when her mom found out she wasn’t in Louisiana at Grimwood. Going to Azarath was because her mom didn’t know about Azarath, and that was the only reason she had gotten away with that.

“Have a cookie,” Chris ordered shoving one under her nose which had his siblings snorting in amusement, he stared at her blandly.

* * *

Piper watched the kids bustle out. Phoebe and Paige had been on call if she hadn’t been able to have Wyatt summon Chris back, what she hadn’t expected was the girl.The girl had been small, athletic, curly black hair, proud face and blue eyes, she had held her ground but been so tiny and looked so defenseless and confused that Piper had wanted to reach over to the girl and comfort her. The sheer raw power the girl had displayed when her emotions had let loose was impressive; not even Wyatt had had power like that. Watching the kids run down the stairs with the girl, Mary-Beth; Piper folded her arms as she watched them go then turned on Leo.

“What the hell was that!?” Piper demanded. “Did you feel that!?” she sputtered.

“A very powerful witch,” Leo said. Piper frowned.

“A confused, powerful, scared little girl who was summoning God knows what and got Chris! Where’s her Whitelighter!?” Piper demanded.

“I…” he started then he looked confused for a minute. “I don’t know,” he said softly. “The Elders are good at keeping track of power like… like that, but I’ve…” he seemed at a loss. “She felt neutral.”

“Neutral?”

“It’s a rarity of Magic, most family lines are ingrained with Dark or Light Magic, it’s the preference of the family which leads to this and the powers they can use. The Magic is the tool, the individual person’s intent determines if this person is good or evil. The base of the family’s magic type though does tend to influence a person one way or another, like the Charmed Ones being good,” he said.

“And this girl is Neutral?” Piper asked, unimpressed a bit by this. That girl was more powerful than Wyatt!

“Well, I’m not saying she isn’t powerful, but she is comprised of enormous amounts of Dark and Light Magic, and that power is swirling about her growing rather quickly, without hindrance,” Leo said.

“So… who the hell was Raven in the magic world for the cousin to be that powerful?” Piper demanded.

“I… don’t know,” Leo admitted.

“How can you not know, if the hero was that massive of Magic influence shouldn’t the Elders or someone felt that?” Piper demanded.

“I don’t know, but I’ll go ask the other Elders,” Leo orbed out and Piper sighed as she rubbed her brow.

Walking down to her kitchen she paused seeing Chris shoving a cookie under the girl’s nose. Mary-Beth, she remembered, looked very small, and lost, and rather hopeless right now. Funny, Piper thought, she had never dwelled on these larger than life heroes having families or lives outside the hero life. People like Superman, or Batman, they just were so unreal and mythic that it had seemed unbelievable that they had families, or people outside the world of crisis and chaos which had them continuously saving the world. They were just so… godlike, so impersonal and real, so powerful and indomitable, they didn’t seem real. The mere idea of them having lives seemed abstract to her. It was shocking, the Titan Raven had seemed so larger than life it was impossible to think of her as someone’s cousin, or daughter, or niece.

“Mary-Beth,” Piper smiled as she walked in, the girl turned a bit to her, cookie in her mouth with large violet eyes.

“Uh… They gave me the cookie,” she pointed at Chris and Wyatt then.

“Oh I don’t care about the cookies, I said go get the cookies,” Piper waved off. “Wyatt, you take Melinda to Magic School, and go to practice, no orbing,” she warned.

“I could…!” Melinda started.

“No. Wyatt go,” Piper said as Wyatt walked by ruffling Chris’ hair as he walked by and Melinda skipped after him.

“I should go to finish my final…” Chris started.

“Oh no mister, you sit right there.” Piper warned her son. “Now, Mary-Beth,” she turned on the teen. “I would like to call your mother,” she said.

“Why?” Mary asked nervously.

“Well, as a mother of magical kids, I know how unnerving it is to have your kid just… poof.” Piper said.

“You don’t have to, she thinks I’m at school right now, and I think I can get back to school before anyone notices.”

“Uh-huh, what school?” Piper pried. She was calling Mary-Beth’s mother one way or another.

“A…Magic School?” Mary offered.

“Hm, my husband runs a Magic School,” Piper offered. She figured this would be a give take situation, because of how this girl was a child who trusted authority, but was also looking wary. A Cousin who had been a powerful Titan though, Piper would be suspicious if the girl wasn’t wary of people. Especially with power like that.

“Cool,” Mary said.

“So, Mary or Mary-Beth?” Piper asked.

“You can call me Mary,” she offered.

“Your cousin was Raven?”

“Yeah, long lost daughter of my mom’s older sister,” Mary offered.

“Your family must be very powerful, magically,” Piper said.

“No,” Mary shook her head. Chris looked at her, and Piper nodded as her son TK’d a cookie to him. She looked at Mary who was looking at her curiously. “You guys are magical?”

“Yes,” Piper answered.

“Mom’s a Charmed One, and I’m Twice Blessed,” Chris offered.

“What’s that?” Mary asked.

“Uh… Mom?”

“Well, the Charmed Ones are three sisters, myself and my two sisters, and we are the most powerful coming witches of our family line, prophesized since my ancestor Melinda’s death when she was burned at the stake. We are destined to be forces of good,” Piper said. “My children are Twice Blessed and welcomed for restoring balance between good and evil, they are half witch, half Whitelighter.”

“I’m really sorry about the summoning! I know I’m supposed to ask angels for help and it’s rude to summon them, please don’t blow me up!” Mary said suddenly.

“Why would I blow you up?”

“Chris said you were going to blow him up, and he’s your son, so I think you’d blow me up instead, and my dad’s Catholic and I know summoning an angel is… not okay. I’m supposed to ask for help, not demand their attention and!” Mary started.

“Hey, it’s cool,” Chris offered.

“Sweetie, you did nothing wrong,” Piper cut off the nervous teen.

“I… didn’t?” Mary tilted her head.

“No. Whitelighters are not angels,” Piper said. “So you are safe, no need to feel rude. Whitelighters are supposed to help and guide you.”

“What’s a Whitelighter?” Mary whispered to Chris.

“Guides, they are mortals who were dedicated to helping others and decided they wanted to continue that in their afterlife, which leads them to being Whitelighters,” Piper said. “I think the Elders deal with the Angels, and a Whitelighter is like an Angel, but they are different beings entirely,” Piper promised.

“Whitelighters also only guide witches and look after Whitelighters-to-be,” Chris offered helpfully.

“Oh,” Mary said with a disbelieving face as she nibbled on a cookie Chris shoved under her nose unceremoniously. “So is Rae a… Whitelighter…?”

“Well I don’t know,” Piper said. “Tell me about your cousin, Raven.”

“She was… cool, a hero, she was very apathetic, and powerful, but she was amazing. Mom said that Rae was magic,” Mary said.

“And what kind of Magic did Raven practice? I’m assuming soul magic, of some extent, because I think that bird she weaponized was her soul,” Piper offered.

“Rae was a demon, she had many powers,” Mary said softly.

“A demon?” Piper stuttered.

“Yeah, Trigon’s only daughter, Gem of Scath, Daughter of Darkness, her best friend called her the Queen of Hell,” Mary said.

“I see,” Piper said tightly. She didn’t know what to make of that information. However there was a finality to the answer she could provide. “I’m sorry sweetie, but no, she would not be a Whitelighter. Whitelighters are mortals, just normal humans, and even if Raven was a good guy, she was a demon.”

“But…” Mary started.

“If she was vanquished there’s no coming back from that,” Piper offered softly.

“She’s not dead! I would feel if she was!” Mary spat out as she hopped to her feet, her powers roiled, and Piper sensed the Nexus reacting to the violent surge of power Mary was displaying.

“Sweetie,” Piper started.

“Rae died saving all us, and severing the soul from the body means that Rae’s soul is likely gone, dissipated,” Chris offered.

“No.”

“So you were trying to summon your cousin and you summoned Chris instead?” Piper said changing the topic. She understood that death, and it’s finality even were terrifying. But demon’s deaths were final mostly, and Raven’s death, a soul severed from the body, would be no exception.

“It was so cool mom! She had this seal, with Norse runes and Celt design with a mythos base, it looked like those biblical seals the Elders talk about in class, the detail and specifications in the seal!” Chris started. Piper saw his awe at what Mary had obviously done, and she smiled a bit seeing the old Chris geeking through with glee; one thing they both had in common was their love of knowledge and learning.

“What spell did you use exactly?” Piper asked. Summonings were hard when one did not have a way to know what exactly they were summoning.

“Um…” Mary started.

“It’s okay, I just want to understand what happened,” Piper offered as she leaned over her counter. Mary nervously shifted on her feet. Chris got up when there was a knock on the door and walked out of the room.

The teen bit her lip before she looked at Piper nervously. “It was in the Book, and it said it was a gift spell, ‘I call upon thee/ Wise soul for guidance/ Come straight to me/ No more defiance’?” Mary said uncertainly.

“AH!” Chris crashed into the wall with a flurry of orbs.

“CHRIS!” Phoebe and Paige shouted, and she heard her sisters running to the kitchen.

“Ow,” her son muttered. Mary was just standing ramrod straight staring dumbly at Chris who had slammed into the arch by her. Piper hid her amusement at this behind her hand. “Will we stop slamming me into things!” Chris shouted.

“I didn’t ask for you to come flying out of light and into a wall!” Mary shouted back. They glared at one another then.

“Chris! Are you okay!?” Phoebe demanded.

“I think Chris has gotten his first Charge,” Piper said as Phoebe caught Chris’ face in her hands, her fingers running through his hair.

“What? I thought we had binded his powers until he was eighteen for the Whitelighter stuff,” Paige said. “Who are you?” she looked at Mary then. Mary darted over to her, and Piper chuckled at the teen hiding behind her, peering around her at Phoebe, Paige and Chris. The poor girl looked so nervous and scared.

“I don’t have a Charge mom,” Chris said shaking off his aunt, TKing a cookie to Mary and himself as he walked over to her. Piper ran her fingers through his hair and smiled a little, her stubborn son just didn’t know it yet. Mary accepted the cookie.

“Who’s this?” Phoebe asked, wincing at the teen a bit. Piper guessed that, if Mary’s displays of powers were accurate, the girl had some very powerful emotions churning within her.

“This is Mary-Beth, she is the reason Chris orbed out of class, she summoned him,” Piper said.

“Well, I took care of that,” Paige said. “Cast a memory spell, you got sick and ran out of class to throw up in the trash bin, Wyatt took you home,” Paige said.

“Really?” Chris whined.

“It was the only one that allowed you to retake you final,” Paige offered blandly.

“Sorry,” Mary offered.

“You weren’t trying to summon me,” Chris pointed out.

“Well still, finals suck,” Mary said.

“I have band practice!” Chris said.

“You’re staying home until we got this sorted out,” Phoebe and Paige stated firmly. He rolled his eyes. “What do you mean summoned?” Phoebe asked then.

“Mary-Beth is a very powerful witch,” Piper offered. “She was trying to summon her cousin, the Titan Raven, and has somehow summoned Chris.”

“Wait, superhero Raven, the Titan?” Paige asked.

“Yeah, that was my cousin,” Mary said softly.

“Mary, these are my sisters, and fellow Charmed Ones; Phoebe and Paige,” she said.

“Nice to meet you sweetie,” Phoebe smiled.

“Takes a lot of power to summon a Twice Blessed,” Paige observed.

“I was after my cousin, I don’t even know Chris!” Mary defended. “Sorry again.”

“No problem,” Chris sighed. “Everyone already thinks I’m a loser in school anyways,” he muttered. Piper frowned at that.

“I could go beat them up?” Mary offered.

“Nah, it’s cool.”

“No it’s not.” She stubbornly insisted.

“Mary, can I please have your mother’s number to call her,” Piper said.

“I…”

“Sweetie, I just want your mom to know you’re alright, you can trust us. We’re not going to do anything to you,” she promised. Mary bit her lip then sighed reluctantly.

“I didn’t take my phone to Azarath,” she muttered.

“What?”

“There’s no cell reception there!” Mary defended.

“Azarath?” Phoebe and Paige echoed. Mary just said her number, Piper pulled out her phone to dial it.

“Chris, why don’t you show Mary the conservatory,” Piper said.

“Come on,” Chris motioned as he orbed the cookies with them.

“Put those back mister!”

“Run!” Chris shouted, which had the teens running for the gardens.

“Cookies!” Paige shouted, then there was a surge of orbs which were nothing but flowers from her rose bushes. “Damn it.”

“I thought you said cookies,” Phoebe teased.

The phone rang twice before Piper turned away from the bickering.

“Hello, Williams residence,” a smoky voice answered.

“Hi, I’m Piper Halliwell, I would like to speak to Mary-Beth’s mom,” she said.

“This is Alice,” came the answer. “Did something happen there? Is Mary alright?”

“Well, where is there?”

“You are calling from Grimwood Academy, right?” the voice was now wary.

“No, I’m calling from San Francisco, there’s been a bit of an incident,” Piper said carefully.

“WHAT!?” Alice bellowed.

“It appears that Mary was trying to summon her cousin and summoned my son,” Piper said.

“I’m confused.”

“If you would like, I can come over and explain it,” Piper offered.

“From San Francisco!?” Alice demanded incredulously.

“Where are you?” Piper asked.

“Water Mill, Long Island,” she answered.

“Oh boy,” Piper sighed. “Yes, you see, I’m a witch, and my sister can bring me to you,” Piper offered.

“What is this about exactly? Is Mary alright?” Alice said.

“Yes, but I do think that we will have things to discuss in person, which would make this easier.”

“I…”

“Mary is perfectly safe, she is in the garden right now with my son Chris,” Piper assured as she watched the young girl kick off her boots and start climbing up the tree. Chris followed.

* * *

Chris sat up on his branch in the tree, the cookies in his lap, and glasses of milk for himself and Mary.

“You seriously don’t want me to go beat up the bullies?” Mamry asked as he flicked her a cookie.

“Nah, it’s cool,” he shrugged it off. He was kind of used to it, and with more power than the average teen he knew it was best to shrug it off than let it build up. He had enough power to decimate his school if he lost his temper. He was like his mom and not his dad, so his temper ran hot and deep; he knew this, so he worked on controlling it. He wasn’t like happy go lucky Wyatt, nor was he sweet natured like Mel. “Besides, wouldn’t you be Miss Popular or something?” he offered cheekily.

“No, not really,” Mary shrugged, her leg swinging as it dangled.

“I find that hard to believe.”

“I’m liked,” Mary offered. “But I’m the oddman out.” she shrugged. “I guess it makes sense now, my cousin being who she was, and now these powers. I just… I always thought Grandma was being dramatic, but I guess not,” Mary mumbled.

“Your Grandma? Was she a witch?” Chris asked, his interest peeked.

“No,” Mary snorted. “Gods no. She was a Medicine Woman for the Navajo. We have a ranch in Farmington,” she said.

“Cool!” Chris grinned.

“Is your mom really a witch?” Mary asked.

“Yeah, total badass too! What’s your mom do?”

“My mom is a realtor,” she answered.

“Really?”

“Yeah, she and my dad have a business in New York.” She shrugged.

“Always wanted to see New York,” he said.

“I’m not from the city, I’m from Water Mill!” Mary snapped.

“So, it’d all be cool!” he countered.

“Mets or Yankees?” she demanded.

“I’m a Giants fan,” he pointed out blandly.

“Traitors!” she gasped.

“Oh come on! it’s been like seventy years!”

“Dude I am a New Yorker, I’m salty about you leaving,” she stated primly.

“And New York is so superior to the rest of the country how!?” he sputtered.

“Because, we’re New York. Besides, beats Texas.”

“True,” he conceded. “I gotta ask, your cousin was a superhero what was that like!?” he finally asked the nagging question on his mind as he looked over at her.

“Rae was… Rae. She was this force, meeting her, it was like meeting an alien. We didn’t know she was a hero when we met her, I found out when she saved us from a skinwalker attacking my Tribe this fall. And it just… You know how Jean Grey was this powerful force, this amazing power as Phoenix?”

“Yeah,” he admitted. He was impressed that there was a chick who read comics and he got it.

“Rae was like that, but she was stable, she knew who she was, what she could do, how far she could push herself and what she could do. I just, she was awe inspiring, demon or not.”

“How do you know she was a demon?” he asked her. He had lived in San Francisco his whole life, he had fought demons, and felt evil, and with as powerful as Raven was, he had never felt evil from her. He was sure he’d have felt if someone as powerful as Raven was evil. Besides, he hadn’t ever felt magic from the Titan; and he’d been at a rescue site of one of her battles defending the city.

“Rae said it,” she shrugged. “Rae also had all this power, and her four eyes when she showed them, and she was grey. Grey.”

“That’s… I just never felt a demon like that here,” he shrugged.

“Rae wasn’t evil, she was powerful,” Mary insisted.

“I don’t think she was evil,” he admitted. Raven warping reality to fight the Tameranean invasion had been impressive; but it hadn’t been something that screamed evil. Just power.

“She was just, amazing, I wanted to get to know her, for real, you know. She just got it,” Mary shrugged.

“Really?”

“Yeah, but I think her being an empath had a lot to do with that. Arsenal said that Rae’s best friend was so chaotic and wild, that I think Rae’s being an empath just helped her understand and connect with people,” Mary said thoughtfully.

“My aunt’s an empath,” he offered.

“That’s cool. I don’t think I could handle being one to be honest.”

“It’d be hard.”

“Serious question, favorite superhero?” she demanded.

“Wonder Woman,” he answered. “Yours?”

“Aquaman,” she answered.

“He’s cool,” he said. “Who do you root for; Yankees or Mets?”

“Mets, all the way, born and raised,” she grinned.

“That hurts.”

“Football, Baseball or Hockey?”

“Baseball.”

“If you could fly or be invisible, which would you be?”

“I think I’d like to fly.”

“Cool.”

“How are you not Miss Popular?” he asked.

“Cause I’m me,” she answered.

“What?”

“I guess I’m like my cousin, what you see is what you get, and people don’t like having someone who doesn’t want to change to appease them around in their cliques.”

“So, between Dr. Strange and your cousin; who’d win?” he asked.

“Dr. Strange is fiction.”

“Are you sure?” he challenged.

“He’s a Marvel Comic character.”

“We are officially best friends for all eternity, you will never be rid of me,” Chris decided.

Mary gave him a bland look. “You’re a band geek aren’t you?” she asked.

“Drumline actually,” he countered.

“There’s a difference?” she mused.

“Massive, I’m guessing you’re a volleyball chick,” he decided.

“Softball,” she snapped defensively.

“Same thing.”

“Oh no, not even close,” she started. He was amused now as he offered her a cookie.

“Then know I’m not a band geek, I’m drum line,” he mused.

“There’s a difference?”

“I’m as cool as the underside of a pillow,” he offered.

“That is corny dude!” she laughed.

“Admit it, I got swagger,” he grinned.

“You are a dork, I like you,” she decided.

* * *

Wyatt Halliwell was many things, popular, Twice Blessed, witch, Whitelighter in training, demon slayer, Valid Victorian, class president, big brother, captain of the football and baseball team, and most importantly big brother; though he was pretty sure that was already on the list. Wyatt loved his brother and sister; he adored his cousins, he would die for them, he would kill for them, he’d throw the entire world to hell to keep them safe.

He knew that he would do it too, even had an ‘evil’ version of himself to thank for know about that. He knew Chris didn’t know this, but some of Wyatt’s first memories of Chris was ‘Big Chris’ and his quest to save him from the clutches of madness descending into evil. Chris’ death was amongst his first memories, along with an inornate amount of confusion as ‘Big Chris’ vanished, and baby Chris appeared. Mom had been so devastated by ‘Big Chris’ vanishing, and he remembered resenting Little Chris so much. 

However, it was recently that he had started connecting the two Chris’ as one. Chris was Chris, he could see it in his little brother’s focus, tenacity, courage, disregard for his own well-being and self-value, sarcasm, wit, knowledge thirst, and his battle prowess. So, while it had taken fourteen years to connect the dots for what had happened to ‘Big Chris’ but now he knew and knowing had him overprotective of his baby brother. Nothing was ever going to harm his brother; he’d obliterate the world before anything could take his baby brother away from him again. Especially some witch who had summoned Chris!

Wyatt didn’t get it, he didn’t understand why Chris had been summoned or how; he had watched mom and his aunts personally bind their Whitelighter charge collecting ability with the aid of an Elder; other than dad. So Wyatt was startled that Chris had a charge when they couldn’t, they couldn’t hear the pleas for help and guidance; and he was a bit envious. He was the eldest, he got to do everything first, Chris was his baby brother and it was Wyatt’s job to go first and make sure that everything was safe for his younger siblings and cousins. 

“Chris’ new friend was cool,” Mel said conversationally as they walked through Magic School.

“Yeah, sure,” he shrugged off. He just had to drop off Mel, call coach; fake being dad, and go home to vanquish that threat to his little brother. Or he was going to relieve his baby bro of being a Whitelighter for the sake of Chris’ because his little brother was in no way ready for that responsibility. Besides, his baby brother had done enough, Chris deserved to be normal, and happy, and safe; Chris had given up everything to get a happily ever after; and Wyatt was going to keep it that way.

“Wy!?” Mel drawled out.

“Hm?”

“What are you thinking?” she pestered.

“Nothing?”

“You got that ‘I’m up to something’ face,” Mel stated.

“There’s nothing wrong with my face!”

“Except it’s fugly!” she teased.

“Where’d you learn that!?” he demanded.

“School; and what are you thinking!?” she persisted.

“Nothing monkey face,” he shoved her head a bit while messing up her hair then. “Go to alchemy!” he ordered as they walked to the door of the class.

“I’m eleven, Wy, I can walk to alchemy myself,” she persisted.

“Sure you can,” he nodded.

“What are you doing?” she persisted.

“Nothing, Mel.”

“I’ll tell mom,” she stated.

He would’ve shuddered at the thought, but he wasn’t fooled. “If you tell mom, anything, I’ll tell her about Mumbai,” he warned.

“I!”

“Go Mel,” he pointed at the class room. The normal Whitelighter in charge of the class along with a punk looking young woman who smiled.

“Class, this is Epiphany Greaves visiting us all the way from London,” the Whitelighter introduced as Wyatt walked down the hall. He didn’t care about anything but making sure that Chris was safe again, so he was going to go home and have a little talk with this witch.

No one got to hurt his baby brother, no one was ever going to hurt him again. 

* * *

Piper and Paige landed on an empty road, the greenery rustling in the wind as some crops rolled under the wind.

“Where are we?” Paige asked.

“Long Island,” Piper answered and turned to see a large white farm house a bit down the driveway. She was going to just go, see if the family knew where Alice Williams would be. She hadn’t thought this through entirely, she knew that, but all she could think was of her own child and how if they were in trouble; emotional or otherwise that she would want to have someone tell her; if only to get help for her child.

“Piper! Wait!” Paige yelped after her.

“I’m walking, keep up,” Piper suggested to her youngest sister. Paige was grumbled a bit as she stomped after her and Piper ignored her. The massive, white, two story farm house had a beautiful front porch, was rather quaint, and picturesque; belonging a century ago and preserved beautifully here. Rather like the Manor, she thought. Walking up the steps she reached the front door and rang the bell.

“Piper, this is a bad idea!” Paige hissed.

“I am speaking to another mother,” Piper stated.

“Who’s kid summoned Chris out of class in broad daylight, bypassing all our protections on Chris. What if she’s a warlock?” Paige muttered.

“Mary-Beth is a scared girl who is summoning things which should not be summoned. She’s rather lucky to have summoned Chris instead of the alternative,” Piper stated firmly. As unsettling as it was that there was someone out there who could bypass all the wards, protections, and binds on any of her children, she recognized an overwhelmed, scared child when she saw one. There was a bat resting by the front door, and a few mitts on the porch, along with a bike. Suddenly the door was yanked open by a young boy, younger than Henry Jr.

“MOM!” the kid shouted.

“Billy! What have I told you about answering the door!?” a sharp, commanding voice demanded.

“But!”

“No buts!” she snapped appearing. “Go to your room!”

“I was going out to…!”

“I swear if you even think about it, I will ground you, to your room!” the woman stated. The dark haired boy glared his blue eyes as he stalked off and then the woman looked at them through the screen of her door; a blonde toddler gracefully balanced on her hip. “I’m sorry, can I help you?”

“I’m Piper Halliwell, we spoke on the phone,” Piper smiled.

“I… about Mary!” she gasped.

“Can we come in?” Piper asked.

“I’d rather…” she started then heaved a sigh. “One moment,” the woman said as she shut her door. Piper tried not to let her agitation show but a few minutes later the woman walked out onto the porch. Her hair was long, black, thick, her eyes were dark, and her face an odd but beautifully striking cross of aristocratic German beauty and Native American beauty. The woman was taller than Piper, athletic, and despite the baby weight, it was clear this woman was shedding it quickly; much to Piper’s envy. “Is Mary alright?”

“Yes,” she answered.

“Yeah,” Paige reluctantly volunteered.

“I… are you from Grimwood?” she asked.

“Grimwood?” Paige asked.

“Uh… the, you know? Special Needs School?” Alice said nervously. Piper looked at Paige who shrugged.

“No,” Piper said.

“Then I’m confused…” Alice started.

“How about we start over, I’m Piper Halliwell,” Piper said as she held up her hand. “Owner of P3 and Patty’s, in San Francisco, California, I’m here because your witch daughter summoned my witchlighter son. Magic is real, and I’m here about your daughter,” Piper said.

Alice now stared dumbly at them both.

“I also know your niece was the Titan Raven, who was a demon,” Piper supplied.

“I…”

“We’re witches,” Paige supplied as the woman paled.

“May we come in to discuss this?” Piper asked. The woman looked too stunned when she yelped and vanished almost instantly.

“Ah, Paige, go home, keep an eye on Chris and Mary, I’ll call when I’m ready to come home,” she said.

“But!”

“I can handle magic babies, go,” Piper dismissed. Paige pulled a face as she stuck her tongue out but orbed out, taking a deep breath Piper knocked on the door again to see a frazzled mom reappear, baby on hip and a disgruntled look on her face. 

“Mrs. Williams, I’m here to help.”

“I…”

“I’m not here to harm you or your family,” Piper promised. “I just want to talk to you about your daughter and your children.”

Alice took a heavy breath and leaned on the door before pushing the screen open, Piper took the invitation as she walked into the little entry room, Alice shut the heavy door behind her then. The home felt like a home and she looked at Alice.

“Help how?” the mom asked.

“I’m like them,” Piper smiled.

“Prove it,” Alice stated, bouncing her baby on her hip. With a flick of her hand Piper sent a small charge at the base of the flower vase cause it to fall then she froze it midair before walking over to pick it up and put it back on the small table it had been on. “Okay,” Alice nodded.

“Mrs. Williams, I am here because your daughter is currently eating cookies with my son,” Piper said.

“She’s fourteen, she’s not dating,” Alice started.

“Oh no, trust me, it’s not that. Your daughter drew a summoning seal and pulled my son out of this reality, and his class, and to her,” Piper said. “Until about an hour ago I didn’t even know that she existed; trust me here I thought it was another demon after my boy, I’m very relieved it’s just your daughter who summoned him.”

“A… demon?”

“Not your niece,” Piper said. “Mary said that Raven was a demon, and I am sorry for your loss,” Piper said softly.

“Raven was… brave,” Alice said.

“Yes she was, and I’m sorry to ask, but were she and Mary close?” Piper asked as they walked into a sun room. Piper took a seat across from Alice then.

“I’m sorry, but I’m very confused,” Alice said. “What exactly is going on here? Mary’s at her new school in Louisiana.” 

“Grimwood?” Piper deduced. “Mrs. Williams, do you mind if we get to some personal questions? I’m only here to help Mary-Beth and Chris, before your daughter summons something that she shouldn’t.”

“I, is Mary in serious trouble?” Alice sighed.

“I don’t know yet.”

“Fine,” Alice sighed.

“Were Raven and Mary-Beth close?”

“Not really, I mean, they were just getting to know each other, we all were. Raven wasn’t…” Alice blinked a few times as she looked away, her tears were welling up. “Raven was the daughter of my older sister, Angela. I… I didn’t even know she was alive until a few years ago and it was by fluke. I put the dots together, and I hounded her until she relented. Raven was… private.”

“What was Raven?”

“She said she was a demon, that her father was some all powerful demon, Trigon,” Alice said.

“I see. And the family magic?”

“What magic?” Alice laughed bitterly. “Until eight months ago we had no magic! A Skinwalker was abducting children when we were on the ranch with my father. Raven and her friend helped find the kids for the Mystery Inc., but Mary-Beth, Billy and Jess, their magic; according to Raven, was dormant, but was jumpstarted because of the stress of the situation. My mom was a Medicine Woman, but it’s… It was a hoax, or at least I thought it was.”

“You thought magic was a hoax?” 

“Why wouldn’t I!? We have men flying in the sky in red capes, and a Batman beating up criminals in Gotham, Magic was not a reality I was expecting in my home when the world was known for falling apart and we have demi gods saving us.”

“I see,” Piper nodded. 

“I think your family’s magic was… suppressed, and it rekindled at points of extreme stress with heavy magic influence.”

“What the Hell!? How’d you get in my house!?” Alice shouted as she leapt up

“I’m sorry, I’m Leo,” Leo said as he smiled nervously. Alice snatched up a lamp, putting herself between Leo and the toddler.

“I…”

“He’s not a threat,” Piper said reassuringly. “He’s my husband.”

“Where the hell did he come from!?” Alice shrieked.

“Did you talk to her about the Whitelighters?” Leo whispered to her.

“I just got here!” Piper grounded out and flicked her hands freezing Alice in place. Piper looked at the toddler who screamed and a surge of light emulated from the child as magic seemed to materialize around her. Piper darted over, picking up the confused toddler.

“Hey, hey there, no need for the lights,” she promised. “Shh, Shh, mommy’s okay, promise,” Piper coo’d as she looked over at Leo who was staring at the kid in a mixture of disbelief and awe.

“What’d the Elders say?” Piper asked as muscle memory had her bouncing the upset toddler and soothing the child.

“The… The Roth line is…” he started and Piper stopped pacing as she the toddler seemed to bring a brilliant light to wrap around them, swirling in it’s golds, silvers, whites, blacks, all of it pushed and pulled and the toddler seemed enamored with the light.

“Leo?” Piper questioned.

“The Roth line is a cultivation of the strongest magic lines in history, cultivated globally and funneled into this family,” Leo said.

“Alice just said they never had magi?”

“It was repressed somehow I guess,” Leo said.

“Time at the camps will do that,” an old raspy voice said which had her and Leo snapping over as an old man walked into the room; the German in his accent was noticeable though it was faint.

“I’m sorry…”

“Would you mind unfreezing my daughter?” the old man asked; his amusement obvious and Piper felt time slip from her control as the room came to life and the magic dissipated. Alice looked bewildered and confused when the toddler disappeared from Piper’s grasp and reappeared in her mother’s arms.

“Papa?” Alice looked bewildered.

“Magic was never a gift of mine, my sister though had the gift,” the man said. “Alan Roth,” he introduced himself. “And you are a Whitelighter, you are a witch,” he said.

“you shouldn’t be up, you know what the doctors said.”

“I’m old, liebling, we die,” he snapped irritably. Alice sighed in exasperation, Piper bit her lip.

“You know what I am?” Leo said in awe.

“Gideon did nothing to save my family from the ghettos or the camps,” Alan said in disgust. “Stipped my family of their powers.”

“Papa?”

“Your family has been bread for magic, to be Magic, the things you are capable of… that shouldn’t be possible.”

“Descended from Moses,” Alan said. “Divine power, gifted magic, Egyptian priests, Asian sorcerers, Tribal Medicine Men, I am aware.”

“It’s… Your family, I have never witnessed that, Neutral, Raw Magic,” Leo said in awe.

“Papa,” Alice started.

“Let us have a bit of tea and chat, amuse an old man’s final moments,” Alan said as he walked slowly for the kitchen. Piper looked to Leo who was still staring at the toddler in awe before he walked after Alan Roth. Unsure what else to do she walked with Leo, Alice followed, and the toddler started sleeping on her shoulder.

* * *

Phoebe watched Chris and Mary from the kitchen window as she stood at the sink trying to decide what to do about the girl. There were few things about demons which truly terrified Phoebe Halliwell, she had loved one, she had carried his child, she had been his Queen, and she had destroyed him. She had destroyed him, her heart had shattered in the process. But demons were not so powerful to warp reality, to stop an invading armada single handedly. They did not possess power so pure, so raw, so true to do that. And knowing that the girl; Mary-Beth, hadn’t been lying about what her cousin had been, and knowing that the Titan Raven had been a demon of that caliber, and they never sensed it, genuinely terrified her. But then again, Mary-Beth’s power wasn’t anything to sneeze at either.

Billie had been powerful, about the most powerful witch Phoebe had encountered besides her sisters. At least, that was how it was before she had encountered this girl who was casually sitting in the tree with Chris and they were eating cookies. So mundane and normal, but that power.

It was immense; like Wyatt’s, it was consuming and powerful, and different in a way. Phoebe couldn’t nail it down, but there was something almost surreal about Mary-Beth, like she was Magic, like it was hers to pull on, command. It was different from any other power that Phoebe had encountered.

“How are they?” Paige asked orbing in.

“Nothing’s changed, they’re just talking,” Phoebe answered. She had been watching them religiously since they had run to the backyard.

“About?” Paige pestered.

“Stuff,” Phoebe shrugged, she couldn’t feel anything between the kids beside curiosity and seeking information on the other. They were getting reads on each other. Chris was actually liking the girl, Mary was reluctantly liking Chris. It was kind of cute; if it wasn’t concerning Phoebe.

Phoebe had never forgiven herself in the entirety of her life for how she had handled Chris when he was twenty-two and desperate to be conceived. She had never forgiven herself for that reluctance because Chris sensed it and it had seemed to put this strain between them, a gap of sorts, one she didn’t know how to fix. Chris had bonded tightly with Piper; both as a young man and as the child he was now. He had the same reluctance about him where she was concerned; she knew it, could sense it, even if Chris didn’t understand it entirely. No matter how good of a mom, aunt, friend, confident and witch, that gap from Chris when he was twenty-two remained with Chris now.

“I don’t like this,” Paige hissed as she glared at them.

“I don’t either, but there’s not much we can do without exposing our Magic,” Phoebe stated.

“So What!?” Paige spat out. “Heroes like Zatanna, and Dr. Fate expose the Magic world everyday, what would be so wrong if I did? Besides I don’t like that girl, she is trouble, she’s bad, evil, anything with power like that can’t be trusted.”

“I don’t know Paige,” Phoebe murmured.

“You don’t know? How could you not know, you were married to the Source!” Paige nearly shouted.

“Which is why I don’t know, she doesn’t have a trace of evil in her; unlike Cole, she feels normal, a teenage girl coming into her powers! I don’t feel this… sucking void where her soul should be. And I don’t know if Raven was really a demon or something, but I feel no evil off this girl!” Phoebe snapped. Just this immense power. Wyatt’s own power had outclassed hers’ and Cole’s child’s, and this girl’s power seemed too much. And if Raven’s displayed power was anything to go off of, then they were right to fear this little witch but it was too premature to fear her.

“She has to be!” Paige started.

“What?” Phoebe snapped. “She has to be what? Something powerful, yes, but she doesn’t have to be anything more or less. We don’t know what she is or what she wants or what she’s after. All we know is that she is powerful and Chris is who was summoned. And we don’t even know the full circumstances of that because Chris is sitting there talking with her, and Piper went to talk to her mother. We know nothing Paige.”

With that Phoebe turned to examine Mary-Beth and Chris. She saw their animated talking, like two kids working on getting to know each other, but there was something more to it, she couldn’t describe it, she just could se it.

The girl was rather pretty, which was a shock to Phoebe because the last time a pretty girl had come for Chris it had been Bianca. Not that Phoebe liked Bianca. The Phoenix Witch was a doomed soul from what Phoebe could feel, even before, now she was just so lost and her mother was twisting her up. But there was also the fact the older Phoenix Witch had about five years on her nephew. Phoebe didn’t like the implications of that because of Chris’ young age and what she had known of that terrible future. Now though, now Phoebe wanted and worked at keeping Chris away from that Phoenix Witch. Mary though was an unexpected change that she didn’t know what to think of.

* * *

“You’ve never watched Riverdale!?” she sputtered as she sat there.

“Well it’s not that good of a show,” Chris dismissed.

“That’s bull and you know it!” she snapped.

“Oh please, Game of Thrones is so much better!” he defended.

“I don’t think you’re old enough to watch that,” she stated.

“I’m the same age as you!”

“That’s my point.”

“I watch it with my brother.”

“Okay, so what else do you watch beside the blood and gore of Game of Thrones?”

“It’s not just blood and gore!” he defended. “It’s a slow burn political drama with the real display of if a dragon was involved in warfare of the medieval times. I think Jon Snow and Sansa are the best characters, but I like Ayra,” he shrugged.

“You are a dork.”

“Well, I also like Bosch,” he shrugged.

“Really?”

“Yeah, you know it?”

“Yeah, my dad and I watch it all the time, don’t tell my mom, because she doesn’t approve, but I’ve been watching it with him since it started. I couldn’t look at the dead parts, or the sex scenes but there isn’t a lot of that in there.”

“That’s cool.”

“Now, you’re west coast, is In-N-Out really that good?” she asked.

“The best fast food burger money can buy,” he promised.

“I think I’ll have to try that.”

“So if you play softball, and not volleyball, what position do you play and why not volleyball?”

“I play left field. And I don’t know, just never wanted to play volleyball,” she shrugged. “Why drumline and not football?”

“’Cause I have the coordination of an octopus on ice,” he stated. Mary snorted as she covered her mouth to keep from laughing harder.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t,” she smothered.

“Go ahead, Wy does,” he sighed in defeat.

“I’m a big sis, it is our sacred duty as older siblings to torment our younger siblings.” She managed as she fought her laughter back. Every time she laughed something always happened, her ‘magic’ seemed to explode with her amusement; she had blown up the television last time.

“Yeah well, I have spaz coordination where sports are concerned,” he shrugged.

“Where sports are concerned?” she mused.

“Yeah, give me an athame and a slew of demons to kill and I won’t even trip. Make me play football and I have butterfingers with clown feet all of a sudden,” he admitted.

“Dude, that’s bad.”

“Yeah, I’m the last kid picked; after the crippled kids and special need kids.”

“That’s really bad.”

“Yeah, so drumline!” he smiled in delight.

“You’re a dork. Let me guess you are even a Star Trek lover? Hans Solo your favorite hero?”

“That’s Star Wars, and no, I am not.”

“Then what’s your favorite old show?”

“Gilligan’s Island. Yours?”

“I liked Bewitched.”

“I thought of you as an I Love Lucy kind of girl.”

“Nope.”

“My aunts love Sex in the City, I think those chicks are nuts.”

“Never watched it.”

“I watched it with Wy when he snuck it away from them.”

“Your brother and you watch a lot of things you shouldn’t.”

“Wy’s good like that.”

“That’s not good.”

“It is too.”

“So what else do you like?”

“Well, Arianaa lot of Grande, Jonas Brothers, Blink 182, Taylor Swift, you know, normal stuff,” she shrugged.

“Why does everyone like the Jonas Brothers?” Chris whined.

“Cause they’re hot,” she answered.

“That’s a bad reason.”

“So what exactly does me summoning you mean for you and me?” she asked as she took an offered cookie.

“I don’t know, I just… I don’t know. I don’t know what any of this means other than you summoned me and now my mom is talking to your mom and the Whitelighter in me is almost demanding that I take over taking care of you.”

“I don’t need to be taken care of,” she stated.

“Well you were demanding help and guidance and somehow that summoned me, and I don’t know what any of this means?” he stated.

“Great, we’re screwed.”

“Not necessarily,” a new voice said. Mary turned to look down the tree as a tall figure appeared in a flurry of lights. It was Wyatt, he walked forward to the base of the tree, and smiled charmingly. Mary would admit he looked charming enough; like a Captain America type; perfect. Blond hair, chiseled good looks, blue eyes, he looked so trustworthy and easy to believe.

“Uh…”

“You summoned help and guidance from what Chris just said, I can help with that,” he smiled.

“Dude!”

“Well, I’m just saying, I’m the eldest, I’m Twice Blessed, and way more powerful, I’m sure I’d be a great Whitelighter for Mary-Beth,” Wyatt said charmingly.

Mary rolled her eyes then. It wasn’t so much the tone of what he was saying; because despite how it sounded, it didn’t sound belittling to Chris; but rather the arrogance. Mary was sure that Raven had said something about Pride being the most lethal of Sins, hubris being the greatest of flaws. And as her cousin had shown to be the living embodiment of Pride, Mary was inclined to believe her. “And Chris wouldn’t be a good Whitelighter?” Mary challenged.

“Whoa, I’m not!” Chris started.

“I’m just saying that my baby brother shouldn’t have to take on a responsibility like this lightly, I am older, and wiser, and more than powerful enough to help you out,” Wyatt stated.

“And I’m not powerful!?” Chris sputtered.

“That isn’t what I mean Chris.”

“Sure it is,” Mary argued.

“No it’s not.”

“You don’t think I can handle this Wy? But we don’t even know if I am to be her Whitelighter or not, I got summoned because she was summoning the most powerful being she could!” Chris argued.

“I just didn’t expect to get you,” Mary snapped. “No offense,” she offered to Chris.

“None taken.” He shrugged as they turned their attention back on Wyatt. “I might be a fantastic Whitelighter!”

“You’re fourteen!”

“And I’ve already done it!” Chris snapped. Mary didn’t get what that meant but she sensed the roiling offense and bristling temper. Her own temper was something of a monster when unleashed so she focused on not letting this encounter rile her up.

“You have not! Mom and Dad bound our Whitelighter calling as toddlers,” he snapped.

“So!? I have the memories and know how, I can too handle being Mary’s Whitelighter.”

“I don’t need a Whitelighter! I need help!”

“I can manage that too!”

“See! We don’t need you to decide what we’re doing!” Mary snapped at Wyatt.

“You know you’re not ready for a responsibility like that Chris,” Wyatt argued.

“How do you know I’m not?” Chris snapped furiously.

“Because I am your big brother!”

“That’s a pitiful excuse!” Mary argued.

“You don’t get a say.”

“I do too, I’m the eldest of three,” Mary countered folding her arms as she let out a huff. Blowing a stray curl from her eyes as she glared daringly at him.

“Chris, you are not old enough to be a Whitelighter. I won’t let you be!”

“You’re not dad!” Chris snapped.

“And I didn’t summon you, so obviously I’m meant to have Chris if I’m to have a Whitelighter at all!” Mary snapped.

“Exactly what she said!” Chris snapped as he jabbed his thumb at her.

“Let’s go,” Mary stated as she hopped down from the tree, Chris followed and grabbed her arm as they disappeared in a flurry of lights out of there. A gasp escaped her as they rematerialized, she stumbled on the landing as she grabbed his arm on the slippery surface.

“Where did you say you were from?” Chris asked her.

Mary yelped seeing where they were as she grabbed onto Chris’ arm more tightly and stared down at the rushing traffic below her, the Titan’s Tower was standing tall and proud and the most terrifying feeling filled her with exhilaration as her stomach dropped at the height difference. They were atop the Golden Gate Bridge! Holy…! “Long Island! Watermill! GET ME OUT OF HERE!” she shrieked.

Chris’ face screwed up in concentration before they once again disappeared in a flurry of lights, she gasped as they crashed in a creek and sighed.

“Sorry,” he said.

“Nothing to be sorry about,” she sighed as she stood up. “Come on, we’re walking.”

“Where are we even going?”

“I’m going home,” Mary stated.

“What about school?”

“I go to a boarding school in Louisiana for Magic, and it’s the weekend.”

“Okay, odd. I thought there was only one Magic school,” Chris said.

“No, the guy who got me into the school had a big old family plantation he’s inheritated that’s been in his family since forever back when the French landed in Louisiana,” she shrugged. “He gave it over to the head mistress and her students when they were exposed; there’s three games keepers there; they’re ghosts, and they call themselves the Boo Brothers!”

Mary, despite everything of the past year, while being homesick and terrified, did like her school. They teleported her home on weekends, and she could participate in her club sports, but she just… she was lonely. It wasn’t like she was Miss Popular, or a Vampire, Werewolf, or even a traditional Witch in any sense; she was an outcast in the supernatural just as she was an outcast in the mortal world. The only saving grace had been the fact that Raven got it, Raven might’ve refused, point blank to even contemplate teaching her magic, but Raven was always available to talk when she was scared or confused or frustrated with the Magic which seemed to accumulate around her. However, even that didn’t seem to last as her cousin was now dead, and Mary was very scared of her own Magic. The only reason that she had even attempted to summon Raven was because her powers went haywire last week and she had nearly killed a ghost and the precious Tribred from the rival school. It wasn’t a good feeling, everyone had started giving her a wide berth when she was in the halls or in class; even the teachers were wary of her. To make matters worse, the entire incident was an accident!

So, she had decided to scream for Raven’s help, or at least be able to talk to someone who could understand what the hell was going on with her. She hadn’t meant for this mess to happen. Also, if she couldn’t get her powers under control soon she would be resigned to being a permanent resident of Grimwood until her powers stopped their instability. Or she would be forced to bind her powers, which didn’t sound pleasant even if she didn’t want all this Magic.

Sibella had said that it was because Mary was a very different kind of witch, and they were just trying to figure out what kind she was so they could teach her. There was nothing normal about the powers Mary-Beth possessed, and for that matter, nothing normal for what Billy and Jess possessed, even Raven; for all her power seemed to be different from a normal witch in the magic sense.

It was so weird and different.

“You seemed pretty pissed about Wy’s arguments,” Chris said. Breaking Mary-Beth from her frustrating thoughts.

“Because I don’t like people dictating what is best for me,” Mary stated. “My Dad says I get it from his side of the family. Vikings, Scots, Dutch thing,” she waved dismissively.

“Any other reason?” Chris said.

“The last person who told me what was best for me was a Skinwalker wanting to devour my little brother and sister; if it wasn’t for Rae then we’d have been dead.”

“Well, if it helps, I have two me’s in my head.”

“What!?”

“Yeah,” he shrugged.

“That’s a headache,” she decided.

“You have no idea,” Chris sighed. “But the good news, the other me has been a Whitelighter so if you need one I at least have a clue how to be one.”

“Well I’m not sure I need a Whitelighter, or guardian angel thing, I just… I need help,” Mary sighed.

“Which is what Whitelighters do,” he answered.

“And I still have no idea what the hell a Whitelighter is.”

“That’s okay, mom will be able to clarify all this.”

“Moms do that,” she nodded.

“Which way?” Chris asked when they stood on a road.

Mary paused as she looked over the road they were on and pointed west. “That way a bit.” She started marching in the direction of her family home; the South Hampton was super rich folks, but her farm house was the plain home.

“Is this a Native American thing? Just know where you are?” he demanded.

“Navajo, and no, my dad was a Marine Sniper, I know where I am.” She stated. Her dad had been a bit insistent on teaching her basic survival; which had come in handy at Grimwood; Louisiana’s bayou was no joke.

“Wait, if you’re Navajo, why are you all the way over here?” Chris asked.

“Dude, I’m New Yorker, German and Navajo, Mom’s got a ranch in New Mexico from Gramps, we live here cause it’s better life and this is my dad’s family property. Been in his family for four hundred years,” she stated as she pulled her curls up.

“I’m mostly English according to my mom and aunts.”

“I think everyone’s mixed here in the States,” she said. “But it’s home. And that’s my house.”

“Oh thank God, I can…” he started.

“No teleporting, we’re walking come on!” she stated. Chris pouted a bit as she started cutting across her field. Dad still liked having the farm working order, it was a use for the land and could keep them all busy. Being busy was good. Also rewarding as Mom loved the work on a farm having grown up on a ranch. Mary admitted she liked the ranch and the horses, and she didn’t mind the farm.

“What is that smell!?”

“Keep walking,” Mary called over her shoulder.

“Ick!”

“Watch for the mud,” Mary chuckled.

“This is gross.”

“I take it as in you’re a city boy,” she mused.

“Dude, I frequent the Underworld,” he snapped.

“Uh-huh, I bet that grosser than here. Come on!” she said.

“You are a very demanding person,” he said.

“Yup, now keep up!” 

“Is this a family trait or something? Was Raven like this!?”

“No, no it’s not,” Mary admitted. “Rae was…” Mary paused as she thought about what her cousin was like, because there had had been something about her. Raven had this aura, this commanding presence, and regal like persona. Raven was invincible, indomitable, a force of nature, nothing commanded her or stood in her way, Mary wanted to be like that; to have that confidence. “Rae was a queen, truly, a complete Queen and badass.”

“Mar Said A Bad Word! I’m Going To Tell Mom!”

“GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE TROLL!” Mary shouted when she spotted her little brother’s black head at the barn running for the house.

* * *

Alice sat warily across from these two strangers in her house, feeling this eerie similarity to eight months ago when two mortals and her niece had sat across from her informing her that Mary, Billy and Jess were no longer normal children. Rachel had said that because of a jumpstart to the magic encounter with the Skinwalker intent on devouring the town and reservations’ children, and Mary’s intervention that there had been a repower in the mortal family’s line. Rachel had said that she was born in Magic, that Angela had practiced Magic, all of which Alice found nearly impossible to believe.

Angela had been the first to scoff at the idea of Magic, to mock the old legends, to look for logic in everything. Angela didn’t practice Magic. But somehow her sister, the elder sister that she knew everything about and had been best friends with, was a stranger she hadn’t know. And her niece was a super witch of some sort who she didn’t know what to think of. Rachel had dropped that bombshell on her which had altered her world forever. Her children were powerful witches, sorcerers, whatever, they were so powerful that the school she had sent Mary too could barely contain her daughter’s Magic! Grimwood Finishing School for Ghouls was struggling with Mary-Beth. The adjustment was hard on her eldest too, because it was all the way across the country from home, and it was so different. Apparently, there was an entire supernatural world hidden from the mortal view and Alice had no part of it, she didn’t even know what to think anymore because of that!

Especially because she was now in charge of three powerful children she couldn’t control anymore! How was she supposed to parent when ‘you’re grounded’ could mean thing when the child could go anywhere, and literally do anything without being abled to be stopped? Grimwood was a solution to teach, but it wasn’t a way to parent; and she couldn’t keep homeschooling Billy as they figured this out. The Headmistress’s second, Vincent vanGhoul; said that Mary, Billy, and Jess were displaying Ancient Magic, so extinct and mixed together with Old and New Magic that there was no way to truly know what they were capable of.

To make matters worse; they had been completely normal! There had been no heroes in their house, no metas, no aliens, nothing, there’d been nothing supernatural here either. It was all so perfectly and utterly normal, though she and Jack could discuss the issues of the modern times with the aliens, heroes, villains, metas, and political. It was all so normal that they could discus it without fearing prejudice, but now, now it was different and that was terrifying. It was scarier if her neighbors or Mary’s friends figured out that Rachel Roth was actually Raven, and that they now had Magic.

Now there were two strangers sitting here, saying Mary had summoned their son to her.

“Now, I know this is hard to believe, but we’re not here to harm you or your family,” the man; Leo; said gently.

“You and everyone keeps saying that,” Alice hissed.

“I just…” Leo started.

“Enough. There is much you do not know Alice.” Her father said patiently.

“Why is that?” Leo said. “A family line this powerful, even the Elders said…” Leo started.

“What?” Alice demanded.

“Your family lines are Magic,” Leo said.

“That means nothing,” Alice started.

“No, you don’t understand,” Leo cut her off. “Magic is elemental, it’s an art, it’s all similar in use; for Light and Dark Magic, Wizards, Warlocks, Witches, it’s all about the Magic, but the difference is the base line which the family will call upon. Light or Dark Magic; it’s what defines the intent and use of the Magi of the wielder. Magic is energy, it’s a force, few can tap into it, and few can call it, but the ones who can, can only tap into one base; not both; they can either tap into Light Magic or Dark Magic.”

“That still means nothing,” Alice said as she started bouncing Jess on her lap.

“It means everything, now, for centuries these family lines; of Light and Dark Magic, have stuck to their bases, rarely intermixing, there’s a bit of incompatibility according to the Elders for the mix to even happen, it would be a neutralizing point of the families to intermix. However, YOUR family seems to be composed of both. Moses, Ragnar, Morgana, the Raven, shamen, priests, priestesses, wizards, witches, warlocks, and so much more, Light and Dark Magic has been compiled and condensed into your family line. Light, Dark, it’s all the same to your family, same with Ancient, Old and New Magic, it’s all there, just to tap into, swirling around you. It’s… I’ve never seen this,” Leo stated.

“It means,” Alice started.

“Your children are the only three truly neutral spell weavers ever sired, and they are the most powerful mortal witches created.”

“Spell Weavers?” Alan asked.

“It’s… It was an Ancient ability only seen in the First Witch and Wizard, it’s Magic at it’s rarest purest form. It is Magic, the ability to pull on any Magic around them, to create whatever they want, to have no limitations to their ability.”

“Rae never said,” Alice started.

“I doubt she’d have known,” he said. “This kind of Magic died with King Solomon. The closest remnants to power like that that the modern world has witnessed is Zatarra’s family line, or Dr. Fate. It’s not heard of anymore. Raven’s ability to warp reality, to bend space and cosmos to her will, to command that much power, it’s celestial, not even Elders have power like that. Whatever Raven was, I doubt she was demon, I doubt she was even entirely mortal.”

“What does have power like that?”

“Celestial beings,” he answered. “But your mortal children, they are the remnants, and rebirth of an Ancient Magic long since been extinct, and yet it’s manifested in your family lines. I’ve never seen power like this, not in the Charmed Ones, or my own children who are Twice Blessed.”

“So they can do anything?” Alice whispered in horror as she stared at her daughter in her arms.

“It’s their’s to call upon, it’s their power to utilize and manipulate. It’s power unlike any other. Ven was she wasn’t just a mere demon to possess power like that.”

“Raven was only half demon, my daughter was completely mortal.” Alan spoke, which had Alice frowning.

“Angela didn’t believe in or practice magic,” Alice stated.

“If I might ask, what happened to Angela?” Piper asked her.

Alice bit her lip as her heart stuttered at the thought of her sister and what had happened. “Angela went to Columbia, she was going to be a lawyer. She went missing though.”

“Missing?”

“Last I had heard from her she was dating some guy who didn’t like how she was so close to her family, but then she just vanished. She was living in the city at the time, so when I reported her missing there was no trace of her. It was like she had never been here. There were no records of her, no trace,” Alice whispered.

“Angela vanished,” Alan said sadly.

“That sounds like someone uncovered her family line and decided to utilize her power for themselves,” Leo decided.

“For what?”

“Who was Raven’s father?” Piper asked.

“Some demon named Trigon. But what does this have to do with Mary, Billy and Jess?”

“Nothing, the mortal side of your family, your family, is going to be unique. You mentioned a school Mary’s going to?” Leo said. Alice saw a dangerous back track when she saw one but she decided to follow it. Both Piper and Leo had been unsettled hearing the name ‘Trigon’ though it meant truly nothing to her.

“Yeah, she goes to Grimwood Finishing School for Ghouls,” Alice answered.

“For Ghouls?” Piper questioned.

“The gentleman who recommended it said it was a safe place to learn Magic, he’s been right for this,” Alice said. “It’s just no one knows how to teach her, so her powers seems to be growing and are unpredictable.”

“I don’t think anyone’s going to know how to actually teach her Magic,” Leo admitted.

“So I’m cursed?” a new voice said which had Alice looking over at her two children and a tall, gangly teen with brown hair and green eyes. All three kids looked horrified.

“No Mary,” Alice started getting up when her daughter disappeared in a swirl of green lights which had the boy looking shocked.

“That’s new,” the boy said.

“I can do that,” Billy whispered.

“Chris,” Piper sighed. “What are you doing here?”

“Wyatt was being a brat, so we decided to come here with you,” Chris answered.

“I’m sorry, but what the Hell is going on!?” Alice demanded. “Billy, go to your room, and you better be there when I check on you or else you will be grounded!”

“Yes mom,” her nine year old sulked as he walked for the stairs.

“Who are you?” Alice turned her attention on the boy now.

“Uh… I’m Chris, Hi,” he said awkwardly. “Mary-Beth kind of summoned me out of my World History Final,” he said as he held out his hand. She looked at the hand and took it lightly before looking at Piper and Leo and her father.

“Chris, go,” Leo said.

“I… I have a feeling you’ll know where she is.”

“What does that mean!?” Alice demanded when the young teen disappeared in a swirl of blue orbs of light. “Will someone answer my question!? What the Hell Is Going On!?”

“I think Chris is your daughter’s Whitelighter,” Leo said.

“What is a Whitelighter?” Alice growled.

“Alice, calm down,” Alan barked.

“No. Not until I know what is going on!” Alice snapped.

“Whitelighters are guides for good witches,” Leo said. “Almost like guardian angels. Your family, your kids, they’re neutral Magic, so an Elder couldn’t just assign a Whitelighter to them.”

“I think because Mary was summoning guidance, she summoned Chris,” Piper finished for Leo. “I think my son is meant to help your daughter, to help guide her in this magic world.”

“He’s a kid.”

“There’s more to Chris than what meets your eye. He’s already been a Whitelighter, and died saving the future. My son looks, acts, and is fourteen, but he has already lived twenty-three years before these fourteen.” Piper said softly.

“What?”

“Time Travel,” Alan concluded.

“Wat do you know of that?” Alice spun on her father.

“Much, it’s how I met Raven,” Alan said. “Though she went by a different name then, a fracture of her true self, but power unrivaled by any other.”

“You never told me this?” Alice said softly.

“I was a young boy, in the camps, I had just lost my sister, my mother, my father, my aunts, my uncles, my cousins, everyone, everything. We had had our powers bound by a Whitelighter, Gideon, and we were sentenced to death. She was a creature unlike any I had ever witnessed, would ever witness, she walked into that hellhole, looking like a Savage Queen there to tear the world asunder. You could not find grace like that in anything outside stories of avenging angels.

“She stormed the camp, coming for her companions, and she freed us. Nothing could stand in her way, so yes, Alice, I have always known about Raven and who she would be and was to be.” Alan said.

“You knew?” Alice whispered. Her father had never seemed surprised by Rachel’s reveal to be Raven, but she hadn’t dwelled on his lack of shock. She hadn’t thought about how he had told Rachel to go, to do what she was born to do, she hadn’t thought about that. No, she had focused on her missing children, and what was happening to them.

“Yes, tochter, I’ve known. I’ve always known,” he said. “I believe that only the wisest and most head strong of souls could even keep Mary on the right path.”

* * *

Chris followed the pull until he found himself landing on the surf and he saw her sitting there before the ocean. Shoving his hands in his pockets he walked towards her, not entirely sure what he was going to say to her, but he knew that he would be saying something to her. That long curly black hair was whipping around her as he came to stand by where she was sitting.

“You know it’s not the end of the world to have this power, right?” he asked.

“To do what with it?” Mary asked, her blue eyes glanced up at him.

“Well, lots of things,” he said, sitting beside her. “There’s Destinies for people like you and Wyatt, and my mom. The Charmed Ones, the Twice Blessed, the Gem of Scath, they’re always destinies and prophecies for people like us.”

“I’m not a warrior like Rae was, I’m not strong like her, I’m not… I’m just me. There’s no destiny for me, I just, I play softball and try my best, and I’m going to be normal! Or I was. I’m not interesting or anything amazing, I’m just me.”

“I’m just me too,” he pointed out. “Being the next King Arthur’s little brother is no picnic either.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, he’ll get Excalibur when he’s eighteen, mom’s got it in the attic,” he said.

“He strikes me more of a Lancelot type than King Arthur.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you strike me as King Arthur,” Mary decided.

“So what are you?”

“Merlin, obviously I’m Merlin at this point.”

“Not going to try to be Genevieve?”

“Before today I’d have totally said I’m Genevieve but your brother’s gay and you’re not my type.”

“Wait! What!?” he sputtered.

“What? You’re not!” she defended.

“No, Wyatt’s Gay?” he sputtered.

“Uh, sorry, bad joke,” she grimaced.

“Why’d you say it though?”

“His hair! Only guys I know with perfect hair like that are gay or movie stars. Though I was just joking.”

“No… Makes sense,” Chris said. “This isn’t about Wyatt though, it’s about you.”

“I don’t want to be me.”

“Why? That power you have now? Your cousin could control it, so can you,” he pointed out.

“Raven wasn’t, she wasn’t like anyone I’ve ever known. Rae wasn’t just a demon, she was a warrior, she was this force, and her control on her powers left her apathetic and cold. And when she lost control she was unstoppable.”

“So?”

“So what if I lose control? I already hurt the invincible Tribred from a rival school, and I nearly destroyed my school, and it’s too much,” Mary groaned as her head dropped to her knees, her hands diving into her hair as she curled in on herself. He could feel the power emanating from her as he sat there, and it was intense, churning, and coiling dangerously to snap and lash out. He knew that, but even though he wasn’t a true, full Whitelighter or even an empath he could feel her power, her emotions were tied to this power.

“Then you lose control, no one has perfect control, you just… my mom says you learn to do better,” he said softly.

“You don’t understand,” she started.

“Don’t I? Magical beings losing control are responsible for the worst catastrophes known to man, it’s not like New Krypton, or a Justice League battle, we’re talking about a single person who could destroy entire civilizations. A single witch can bring down an entire empire to their knees if not careful with their powers, and their powers never stop growing, I get it Mary. I get it far better than you want me to get it. But you can choose, choose to be better, to make your own fate, to have your own choices, to embrace your destiny, whatever that may be. The power doesn’t define you, you define the power.”

“Raven said the same thing,” she whispered.

“I think if your cousin was a demon, like you say, that she’d be an example of defining the power not the power defining her,” he pointed out.

“Raven…” she started. “Rae was special.”

“So are you, no less than her, no more, just different.”

“You sound like you know what you’re talking about there,” she mused.

“I don’t, I’m quoting my mom.”

“My mom clearly thinks I’m a monster.”

“I don’t think she thinks that,” his mom’s voice said and he turned to the bluff to see his dad orbing away. “I think your mom is mortal, with no powers, as is your father, and she now has three very powerful children who don’t necessarily see her as an authority figure anymore, I think it scares here that someone could come after you, to use you and manipulate you and she doesn’t know how to help you or stop that. I also think it terrifies her that you are now no longer just her little girl but a young witch and she can’t relate or reach out because she doesn’t understand what it’s like. I think she’s scared to lose you and more terrified that she doesn’t know what to do. This is new sweetie, it’s new for you, her, your father, your brother and your sister, and it sounds like the only true link to the magic world you had was someone who just couldn’t teach you.” Chris gave his mom a grateful look as she sat on Mary’s other side.

“Raven said she couldn’t teach me because she was different from me,” Mary said bitterly.

“Which is true. You are different, very different from Raven, and different from any one else, I don’t know how to teach you, and I don’t think anyone truly knows. But you go to a school for Magic, and you have the chance to learn, to figure it out, in a safe place. Which is good. And now, if you want, whenever you need help, Chris is just and orb away and he can bring you over to the Manor.”

“Why would you want to help me?”

“Oh, no reason, sweetie,” his mom said softly. “But all moms want to help. Even when we don’t know how to help or how to react. Your mom knows nothing about Magic, I know a thing or two, and if you let us, we can help you. I want to help you because I can, Mary, no other reason.”

“But what if I lose control again and bad things happen, again,” Mary murmured.

“What happened, exactly?” he asked. His mom shot him a look and he shrugged.

Mary hid her face in her knees then. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she mumbled through her knees. Chris wouldn’t have heard her if he hadn’t been listening for her, and the response was about normal for when he lost control.

“When I started regaining my powers I kept freezing everything when I was nervous or overwhelmed, whole rooms; and I was managing a restaurant at the time so things are always moving. And I could only freeze a room at that time.”

“Raven never lost control,” Mary mumbled.

“Oh, I’m sure that’s not true sweetie,” she said softly. Chris watched his mom reach over to Mary and nod for him to go. He decided to go to his dad who was standing on the porch with Alice and an old man.

“Chris,” his dad smiled at him. “This is Alice Williams, Mary’s mom.”

“Hi Mrs. Williams,” he said as he cautiously walked up the steps. The woman looked at him with a piercing gaze and sighed.

“So my daughter summoned?, you out of your class,” Alice stated.

“Yeah, pretty impressive magic, she could’ve probably summoned a full angel if I hadn’t gotten tangled up in her spell somehow.” Chris admitted that he had nothing but admiration for the spell work Mary had gone about creating, it was impressive. He hadn’t seen anything like it, ever, in either lifetime.

“And you think you’re supposed to be her… guardian angel?” Alice said.

“Um…” he scratched the back of his neck nervously as he gave his dad a silent plea for help here. He had no idea what he was supposed to think or feel about being summoned, he didn’t have this contestant noise in his head since meeting Mary; his dad and aunt had always described gaining charges similar to gaining an always open telephone line dialed to him in case the charge needed help. But he could feel her, just barely, like a whisper on the conscious edges of his mind.

“We’re not sure, entirely, but there is no harm here in us getting to know each other,” his dad said.

“I mean if she wants me I’ll be her friend,” he offered. “That came out wrong!” he gasped as he heard what he said.

Alice smiled slightly; her amusement clear and his dad looked ready to laugh at him. Chris found his shoes very interesting just now.

* * *

Piper hesitated before she placed a steady hand on the young teen’s shoulder. “I know this is scary, Mary, and I know it’s overwhelming. You don’t know what to do, and you don’t have a guide or a family member to turn to about this. And I know that this is too much for you, you’re young and this is a power no young person should have.”

A teary blue eye peeked at her and Piper smiled a bit. “But You Are Meant To Have This Power.”

“I don’t want it.”

“It’s a gift, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now,” Piper said and she moved a stray curl from Mary’s temple so she could see the girl. “But this isn’t the end sweetie. I promise you this isn’t the end.”

“It killed my cousin,” Mary murmured.

“No, I don’t think it did, I think your cousin made a very calculated decision in her method of attack, and when her teammate was in danger to being killed she sacrificed herself. I do not believe she did that lightly, nor do I believe that she left you entirely. I’d bet that she’s even watching out for you right now, in her own way.”

“Rae didn’t want anything to do with us,” Mary mumbled. “Mom only found out about her because of that stupid picture!”

“Why didn’t she want anything to do with you?”

“She said a satanic cult was after her, and she didn’t want to endanger us, and she didn’t know about us cause Aunt Angela didn’t think we were worth talking about. And her dad was some big demon lord who wanted to destroy the world,” Mary said bitterly. “I didn’t even want to meet her, Raven, she was just a Titan, she wasn’t real. Like a celebrity, like a Wayne or a movie star, she just wasn’t real. Then she was, and I wanted to get to know her then she pushed away from us, mom couldn’t even get her to come over. The last thing I said to her was I hated her and I hoped she died so I didn’t have to have Magic.”

“Oh sweetie,” Piper sighed.

“But I didn’t hate her,” Mary whispered. “I just wanted to get to know her. But she didn’t want to get to know me.”

“Sweetie, I don’t think it was about you,” Piper said softly.

“She was an empath! Couldn’t she feel what I wanted? I just wanted to get to know her!” Mary groaned hiding in her knees again. Piper sighed as she rubbed the young girl’s back soothingly.

“Sweetie, I don’t think it had anything to do with you,” Piper said softly. “It sounds like Raven had a lot to protect, a world, her teammates, a city, a civilization, and herself. I think she didn’t want to hurt you or get you hurt if you got close to her.”

“But I just wanted to know her!”

“I know, and it isn’t fair, sweetie. But I think, I think Raven loved you very much to stay away.”

“How can you love someone and stay away?” Mary asked her, her head coming up to stare at her with red, wet eyes.

“Well, satanic cults are very dangerous, sweetie, and when they fixate on a person they are not afraid to do whatever is necessary to ensure that they get what they want.”

“She had a brother, two moms, a niece and nephews,” Mary shuddered.

“And I will bet all that I am that ever single one of those people in her life were aware of what was after her and could and would defend themselves.”

“But!”

“Your cousin just wanted to keep you safe, and that’s love, even if it doesn’t feel like it.”

“I just wish I wasn’t this freak!”

“You’re not a freak, you’re special, you just… no one gets immediate control, no one is perfect with their powers immediately, not metas, aliens or homo-magi,” she said. “And you, and your siblings, are Charmed, and it will make life very difficult, and different, but it is worth it, all you need is a bit of trust and patience in yourself. And if you want, I am more than happy to teach you, as are my sisters, and you have a school where you can learn. And this power, no matter how terrifying it is, is something you will learn, and you will define, not the other way around,” Piper insisted. “You just need a little faith and patience.”

“I’m sorry for summoning your son,” Mary murmured.

“It’s fine, I’m not thrilled that he’s becoming a Whitelighter, but I think you will be good for him, give him a purpose.”

“I…”

“You two can always just be friends too, but I think you summoned him for a reason, why not learn what that reason is?” Piper offered.

“I just… I didn’t want to be this,” Mary murmured.

“No one ever does, sweetie, but it’s okay, you learn.”

“Raven’s not dead.”

“Perhaps, perhaps not, but she’s not here for now,” Piper said softly.

* * *

Mary said nothing as she stared out at the water, her hair being tugged on by the wind. So she was a witch, and she couldn’t summon her cousin, and she didn’t want this. But maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t as bad as she thought.

She couldn’t replace Raven, but maybe, not now, but in time, she could learn to be like her cousin, to stand for what was good in this world, to fight for it. She wasn’t a warrior but she could learn.

She hoped she could learn.


End file.
